I noticed that you have *** 136 million in uh funding for E. D. D. For the E. D.
D. Next project. And it's *** five year plan that sort of modernized. This is
*** department that has has been told that needs to modernize for years now.
And do you have benchmarks that you want them to meet? What kind of
oversight are you going to have in place to make sure that they meet these
benchmarks and actually do that modernization that they haven't done
for over *** decade now. Yeah. I can't make up for what wasn't done before. I
got here. And boy, we were flying *** plane and trying to patch together and
hold it together during this pandemic by the way, not unique to any in any
way, shape or form to the state of California. I talked to every governor
in this country. It was expressed similar frustrations with their systems
that were overwhelmed particularly with the P. U. ***. Program which was ***
brand new novel program I'm really proud of California. We uh engaged with
the federal government working very closely with the biden administration
on highlighting, illuminating *** lot of those issues and vulnerabilities.
And we put together not just to strike team task force but we have *** whole
new team in D. D. D. Which you're familiar with as well. We have also not
been shy about going after all the abuses in terms of uh the criminal
investigations. We've put together *** team uh that has already investigated
just the state and by the way we have partners working on investigations
within the state that are not included. 1500 criminal investigations. We've
seen convictions and arrests uh in terms of fraud all of it around
rebuilding the system. We hired former special counsel for the trump
administration council member uh Special counsel McGregor scott to lead
these efforts and he's done *** magnificent job. I really want to
complement his team. You're correct. We have budgeted budgeted more money
january and more in may on upgrading and implementing reforms at E. D. D. Uh
continuing to build on those reforms including reimagine it completely. And
I appreciate um and I do appreciate your familiarity with E. D. D. Next
which is about that re imagining re visioning our entire process. Uh Not
just from an I. T. Perspective but business process improvements that are
required and the oversight the new team. The focus on leaving whoever comes
after me *** better system than the one I received I assure you is top of mind.
Uh Not just topic. Cool. Uh And something that I'm looking forward to
working with the legislature to continue to advance. And this will be
my last question governor. But you also have some money earmarked for for
combating that fraud. Uh 20 billion and counting. It's one of those things. I
know that there are units inside E. D. D. But but it's you know the the new
unit that the auditor had recommended is 12 people for the 44 million in the
state of California. Most of these investigations are being done by local
P. D. S. And D. ***. S. I know some of that money is earmarked for them. But
uh you know how what how much do you think is going to go to these units
that are spending 80 90% of their day investigating E. D. D. Fraud when they
could be investigating other things? No no better person. Why ask me? I can
give you *** response but better to have the person they hired full time to
focus on this. Working with our federal state and local partners. That's
McGregor scott who's as I said, put together remarkable group of people
team task force working with Mark Ghilarducci Sheriffs working with
district attorneys were funding *** lot of those investigations. But I think
notably working with the federal government and that's where we're
making tremendous progress as well. We put *** lot of new technology. The I. D.
Me system was one of the first, not the first but one of the first states to
implement that new strategy, Thomson Reuters, others working with the
federal government. Actually helped by an administration put together *** task
force in this space, highlighted this with other state governors. We've been
probably the most transparent state in the country around this. That's why
we've uh those numbers are very public have been for years now. We've not been
shy around this in terms of being very forthright about what's going on. So
I'm really pleased with their progress. And, uh, this budget reflects their
asks in terms of next steps in to the extent that we feel there's still gaps
in the Legislature. Does I look forward to closing those collapse before we
close this budget. Do you have any concerns, though, that that money, the
fraudulent money under the pandemic unemployment assistance is going to
have to get paid back to the federal government at *** certain point, it
will come out of the state's coffers. We'll we'll we'll pay Our obligation is
not unique to California. This is *** burden reality for other states. The
numbers are so much bigger in California. I think the last time I
looked, We were about 180.3 billion. I think that Q1 and just unemployment
claims that were administered. So it's *** rather extraordinary number. Um,
and so it makes California's numbers seem uh, that much larger. But no, we
we we collectively, I know we've had *** lot of calls in the national
governors associates while I'm smiling, it's *** big issue for governors and
advocacy, uh, in uh, in the in Congress, to address this issue. All of us are
facing all right. Thanks coming thanks